UK Government offers AI training to 10M workers by 2030
The UK Government has announced an expansion of its national AI programme, unlocking free training opportunities designed to help upskill up to 10 million people develop the digital capabilities needed to thrive in an AI-enabled economy by 2030.
This expansion, as part of the UK’s ambition to becoming the fastest-adopting AI nation in the G7, aims to create more higher-skilled jobs and free up workers from routine tasks. Increasing AI adoption could potentially unlock up to £140 billion in annual economic output.
Delivered in partnership with leading technology companies and training providers, the initiative will offer accessible, industry courses ranging from introductory AI literacy to advanced technical skills.
Open to all UK adults online, the courses can take as little as 20 minutes, and will give people the skills needed to use simple AI tools effectively in the workplace and teach the use of AI for tasks like drafting text, creating content, and completing administrative tasks.
The expansion is designed to ensure that workers across all sectors can benefit from the opportunities AI presents.
The Tech Secretary is also launching a new AI and the Future of Work Unit to help the UK stay ahead of emerging challenges and ensure the workforce is prepared.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Kendall, commented: “We want AI to work for Britain, and that means ensuring Britons can work with AI.
“Change is inevitable, but the consequences of change are not. We will protect people from the risks of AI while ensuring everyone can share in its benefits.
“That starts with giving people the skills and confidence they need to seize the opportunities AI brings, putting the power and control into their hands.”
A selection of industry-developed AI courses has been checked against Skills England’s AI foundation skills for work benchmark. The programme has already delivered one million courses since June through combined government and industry efforts.
Stuart Harvey, CEO of Datactics, commented: “This announcement is extremely encouraging. AI skills are urgently needed as society adapts to the new normal. Equally as important are the data skills that drive successful, safe and secure AI adoption. The success of the AI Skills Boost programme will rely on organisational data readiness as much as workforce capability.
“AI models require high-quality, relevant, well-governed data; however, many SMEs and public sector bodies still operate with fragmented datasets, inconsistent standards, and limited data governance, constraining responsible AI deployment at scale.
“Embedding data readiness into the AI foundations curriculum and providing targeted data capability support would significantly improve adoption outcomes. Without this, there is a risk that AI skills cannot be operationalised effectively, limiting productivity gains and widening the digital maturity gap.”
This training will give both workers and employers confidence in their new skills and help set clear standards for what good AI upskilling looks like.
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